Red Sea - day 25 Egypt - Hurgada
St Barbara's Web Diary
Peter & Sue Goldsmith
Sat 12 Apr 2008 15:54
27:13.55N 33:50.50E
17.00 12th April
With more fuel and water on board, an oil change completed and passage plan
made we are ready to take on the last part of the trip north towards the
canal. The forecast is good and so tomorrow morning we are off again. Today
the crew have been out seeing the sights. Read on.
Well a very pleasant day was spent wandering around real Egypt. - the strip,
set back from the marina and sea front is an endless stream of gift shops,
jewellers, papyrus art shops, cafes and bars. Each is fronted by a young man
seeking to entice you in to look at his wares and in between each shop is at
least one itinerant street sales executive working for Rolex, Gucci or
Marlborough. Washing passed these wonderful buying opportunities are an
equally relentless tide of holiday makers from all over the world seeking
that golden artifactual discovery, unquestionably slipped through the
back-door of the Pharaoh's own tomb and never to be repeated, special today
because I like England/America/Russia etc. etc. Its a lively, bustlely
resort town with a lot of people making a living from the many people who
hanker after the winter sun.
Having arrived in a far more authentic place, in the evening we went in
search of some local food. Unfortunately, after sitting down for a drink it
seemed silly to pick ourselves up and find somewhere different, and as we
happened to be in an Indian restaurant, well a curry it was! Tonight we'll
try harder, I promise.
As we arrived on a Friday and a large mosque is quite close to the marina,
the call to prayers was a pleasant interruption to the day. Not only was the
mosque full of worshipers but the pavements outside and parts of the street
stretching out into the traffic were crowded with people. After dark and
sitting on the boat, listening to the competing calls from a number of
mosques in different parts of the town, wafting in and out of each other set
off the ambiance of the place. A great, relaxing day.
Peter2